The magazine on Thursday announced that Josh Rivers’ contract had been terminated with “immediate effect” after suspending him - one-month into the job - on Wednesday, after a Buzzfeed News UK expose.

In a statement Gay Times apologised to its readers and distanced itself from Rivers’ behaviour: “We sincerely apologise for the offence that has been caused, particularly to those members of our wider community to whom such inappropriate and unacceptable commentary was the focus.